A sheet material for e.g. wiping purposes may be provided in the form of a stack. Different kinds of dispensers for holding such a stack of sheet material, and for dispensing separate sheets of sheet material from such a stack, are known. Generally, there may be distinguished between two kinds of dispensers for stacks of sheet material; a first kind of dispenser from which sheet material is dispensed from a bottom end of the stack, and second kind of dispenser from which sheet material is dispensed from a top end of the stack. The first kind of dispenser is easily replenished with sheet material by placing fresh sheet material on top of sheet material remaining in the dispenser. This kind of dispenser has the drawback that the weight of large stacks of sheet material tends to make the dispensing of sheet material from the bottom end difficult. In the second kind of dispenser, irrespective of the weight of the stack, sheet material is easily dispensed from the top end. On the other hand, replenishing a dispenser of the second kind may pose a problem because the stack often has to be replenished from the bottom end.
The stack may be biased towards a dispensing opening and napkins may be dispensed from a top of the stack from the dispensing opening. Replenishing the latter type of dispensers may pose its own particular problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,082, with reference to its FIG. 6, discloses a dispenser wherein paper is fed from a top of a stack. The stack is replenished from its bottom. How replenishing is to be performed in practice is not discussed.
US 2011/0101020 discloses a dispenser comprising a housing with a back plate and a cover. A base of the cover is articulated on a connecting pin. A support-container holds a stack of pre-cut material which is in use and can hold a spare stack. A base of the support-container is articulated around the same axis of rotation and the cover internally has a horizontal plate which supports the stack in use after swiveling the cover and support-container to load the spare stack. The support-container fits inside and is dismountably attached to the housing after swiveling into the internal space of the housing, which causes downward displacement of the stack in use, allowing the spare stack to be inserted into the internal space. That is, the support-container is turned upside down to access a bottom of the stack in use for replenishing the dispenser with the spare stack. The stack in use and the spare stack are joined to each other after positioning the spare stack on the other stack.
In dispensers for folded web material, intended to comprise several initially separate stacks of web material which are joined to form a continuous folded web material for dispensing, the refill procedure will comprise a step of joining the initially separate stacks of web material together. There is a general need for providing a simple and reliable refill procedure, enabling joining of separate stacks.
In dispensers for folded web material, an attendant performing the refill procedure might attempt to store a too large amount of folded web material into the dispenser. This might cause problems, since the folded web material present in the stack will then strive to expand inside the dispenser, which risks causing problems with the material becoming pinched, and difficult to dispense.
There exists a need for an alternative arrangement for replenishing a dispenser with a stack of folded web material from a bottom end of a dispenser. There exists a need for an arrangement which enables simplified loading also when the several independent stacks of web material are to be joined. There exists a need for an arrangement which diminishes the risk of a user filling it with excessive amounts of web material.